Joseph c



(N0 ModeL) J. 9. W, STOUT.

RBIN HOLDER.

Patented June 13, 1882.

o 9' [kW 522% r.-

' UNTTEn STATEs PATENT EET'c c JOSEPH O. W. STOUT, OF FARMINGDALE, NEW JERSEY.

RElN-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 259,599, dated June 13, 1882.

Application filed April 1, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOSEPH O. N. STOUT, a citizen of the United States of North America, and a resident of Farmingdale, county of Monmouth, State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rein- Holders for Carriages, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide an improved device adapted to be attached to the dasher of a carriage for receiving and holding reins of yarying widths and thicknesses, without injury to the same, when the driver desires to lay them down.

The invention consists of two jaws, each provided with longitudinal teeth of unequal widths, pivoted in vertical position opposite each other in a suitable frame, and pressed toward each other by springs that cause them to grip the reins, the horns of said frame and tips of said jaws being cut away or beveled for the convenient insertion of the reins between the latter.

Figurel is a rear elevation of the device, with whip-socket attached, in position on a carriage-dasher. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation of the same on line 00 m, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same on line y y, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detail of the device.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The frame A is cutout at its center, so as to form two upright arms, B B, whose tops overhang inwardly, approaching each other, and are socketed, as shown at a, and covered by horns B B.

At the bottoms of the arms B B, and extending nearly across the frame A, is a socket, I), which is designed to be covered by an angle-plate, G, in whose upper face are slots 0.

The top pivots, d, of thejaws D extend up through slots a into the sockets a, while the bottom jaw-pivots,f, extend down through the slots 0 into the socket b.

Spiral springs g h, respectively in sockets a I), bear against the respective pivots (1f, and thereby press the jaws D toward each other in the opening of the frame A. These jaws D are rounded on their backs, that they may turn freely in the concavities 7c in the inner faces of the arms B, and are provided at their opposed faces with three longitudinal radiating teeth, Zmn, respectively, ofunequal widths, the front and rear teeth, Zn, being of sufficient width to limit the rotation of thejaws D to a partial revolution inward or outward by taking against the inner or outer edges of the arm-concavities k, as the case may be, so that the said jaw-teeth may always be opposed to each other to grip the reins.

The rear teeth, a, are designed to be of such a width that when directly opposed to each other with their edges in contact, as indicated in Fig. 3, they together present or form an 0btuse angle pointing rearward, and when said teeth a are in this position the backs of the jaws D are snug against their seatsthe concave inner faces of the arms B-so that said jaws cannot be rotated farther forward, and hence said teeth a will firmly grip the thinnest reins that may be between them, and will close upon said reins with a pressure that will increase with the forward pull upon them, making it impossible for the reins to become loose unless drawn backward by the driver, in which case the jaws will immediately release their grip.

When the narrower teeth mm and ll re spectively are opposed to each other the jaws D are approached to each other by the action of the springs g h. These pairs of teeth m m and Z Z respectively are designed for gripping and holding thicker reins than those for which the teeth a a are intended.

It is manifestly difficult and inconvenient to introduce reins into a rein-holder having flat or square tippedjaws. Hence I fix on the tops of the arms B B horns or guides B B, whose opposing faces are beveled, so as to form between them a V-shaped opening, 0, for directing the reins to the jaws D, whose tips are also beveled on their opposing faces or corners, as shown at p, for the ready introduction of the reins.

To a side of the frame A a whip-socket, F, may be attached, as shown in the drawings; or it may be dispensed with.

This device may be attached to a carriagedasher by thumb-screws q passing through lugs 1', as shown in Fig. 1, wherein G represents the dasher; or it may be secured in place in any other convenient manner.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A rein-holder constructed substantially as herein shown and described, consisting of open frame A, spring-actuated toothed and bevel-tipped jaws D, and beveled horns or guides B B, all arranged and operated as set forth.

2. In a rein-holder, the jaws D, having beveled edges 11 and teeth of different lengths, combined with the frame A and springs, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The frame A, arms B B, and whip-socket F, formed of a single piece of metal, having a recess adapted to receive the pivoted beveled jaws D 1), having teeth I m n of different lengths, combined with saidjawsl) and springs h, as set forth.

4. The pivoted jaws D, having teeth n, combined with the springs h, and adapted to lock the reins between their inner surfaces against movement in one direction, as specified.

5. The jaws D, having teeth I m n of varying lengths, combined with the removable beveled horns B and the springs h, as set forth, for the purposes specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in pres ence of two witnesses, this 23d day of March, 1882.

JOSEPH G. W. STOUT.

Witnesses:

J AGOB J. S'roRER, M. T. WIIELPLEY. 

